Stencil attachment for typewriters



STENCIL ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed July 19 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 35% dike 0mm:

JuH/v .7. MFIEUN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .J. J. MASON STENCIL ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Flled July 22 1921 Dec. 1 1925.

JUHN J. Mnsa/v Dec. 1, 1925. 1,563,771

- J. J. MASON STENCIL ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed July 192] 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 814mm JaH/vl/Vnsu/v $51 6410mm [Mp/i! Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES PAENT FFICE.

JOHN J. MASON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, OR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS. TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITE'R COMPANY, A CDRIPGRATIGN OF DELAWARE.

STENCIL ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITTERS.

Application filed July 22, 1921. Serial No. 486,735.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. MASON, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stencil Attachments for Typewriters, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates generally to improvements in typewriters and more particularly to means for adapting a typewriting machine to cut stencils or to type printed characters on the same piece of work at the will of the operator. The invention is in general an improvement on the device described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,182,499, May 9, 1919.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device for holding a card or the like, together with an inked ribbon, in such relation to the cylindrical platen of a typewriter that typed characters are printed on thecard, and to change the relation of the card to the platen so that the typing elements of the machine will engage a stencil section of the card without engaging the inked ribbon, to thereby produce stencil forming characters on the card.

The invention includes a card holding de vice mounted to reciprocate in a tangential and adjacent relation to the periphery of the cylindrical platen of a typewriter to thereby place the card in a stencil forming or in a typed character receiving position, as desired. Preferably the card holding device is equipped with ribbon holding means for holding an inked ribbon in cooperative relation to that portion of the card on which it is desired to type an inscription directly, that portion of the card which is equipped with a stencil section being unprovided with an inking ribbon. By this arrangement the card holder with a contained card is movable into position to place that part of the card carrying the ribbon section in place to be engagedby the type bars to thereby impress printed characters on the card, or to place the stencil section of the card-in position to be engaged directly by the typing elements without an lnterposed ribbon.

Other features of the invention together with modifications will be hereafter rea thin material adaptedc' to be ruptured by the engagement therewith of the type elements of the machine to thereby provide a stencil for use in addressing or other operations. lVhile a particular type of card has thus been particularly described, it will be understood that the device is adaptable for use with cards of other designs and even for operating on separate index and stencil cards mounted in sets in the holder for separate treatment in the same general operation.

In the drawing in which a preferred form of the invention has been selected for illustration,

Figure l is a top plan view of a typewriting machine and a preferred embodiment of the invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the upper portion of the machine shown in Figure 1 and the stenciling attachment therefor.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and showing the device in stenciling position.

Figure 4; is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the device in position for typing.

Figure 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the stenciling attachment looking toward the platen shown in Figure 2 from the left and along a line adjacent and parallel thereto.

Figure 6 is a plan of the top of the type writing machine from which the carriage has been removed, this figure showing a modification.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the parts seen at Figure 6, and also showing the platen.

Figure 8 shows a modification in which a section of the ink ribbon is mounted in a frame for use in place of the ink ribbon 17' seen at Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a section through the ink ribbon device seen at Figure 8.

' Figure 10 shows a stencil-card having space thereon for the typewritten address, and also having a panel of stenciling material.

Figure 11 is a sectional view of the card seen at Figure 10, the section being taken through the stenciling material.

Referring to the drawings, a. typewriting machine framework is shown at 1 in which are mounted suitable type actuating keys 2 in a well known manner. In place, however,

of the usual platen, carriage and ribbon devices, special attachments are provided which constitute the stenciling mechanism embodied in the invention.

The stenciling mechanism includes a framework 3 having a rectangular formation and provided near its forward extremity with rollers st which roll on a track plate 5 extending transversely across the forward part of the machine framework 1. The framework 3 is provided at its rear portion also with rollers as at (i, the rollers 6 however being grooved and tracking on a rod mounted in "a raised position on standards 8 at the lateral extremities of the frame 1. The grooved rollers (5 permit lateral. but prevent longitudinal movement of the framework, as will be clear. 7

The framework 3 is provided with longitudinally arranged slideways 9 along which a work holding member 10 may be moved to bring different portions of the work into operable relation to a cylindrical platen 11 rotatably mounted in standards 12 mounted on the lateral members of the framework 1 near the rearmost extremity thereof. The work holding member 10 is a skeleton framework particularly formed in this instance to support work in the form of'cards 13 such as that illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawing. The card 13 is provided with a blank on which a name may be directly typed as at 14, the card also being provided with a stencil portion formed by cutting anopening in the card as at 15 and attaching thin stenciln'iaterial to the card over the opening, as at 16 in Figure 11.

In apreferred form of the invention the holding member 10 is provided near its for ward extremity with an inked ribbon section 1? which is held in place by means of pivotally mounted spring clip members 18.

The card holding member 10 is provider near its opposite lateral margins with rack members 19 which have engagement with toothed gears 20 with which the platen cylinder 11 is equipped at its opposite ends.

In operation. a card 13 is placed in po sition in the holder 10 whereupon the holder is pushed back to its rearmost position, indicated in Figure 4t of the drawing, this position of the card bringing the inked ribbon section 1? and the blank portion 14 of the card into place beneath the platen 11, so that the type members 21 of'the machine will face the inked ribbon against the adjacent portion of the card to type the desired characters thereon to thereby adapt the card for use in an index file.

In order to prepare the stencil portion of the card, the card holder is moved rear wardly to the position shown in Figure 3 wherein the thin stencil panel is brought into position beneath the platen 11 and the inked ribbon section 17 is withdrawn from operative relation to the platen and the work. In this position of the card the typ ing members 21 engage the stencil material directly, without enga ing the inked ribaon, and thereby rupture and perforate the material'in such a way that ink will pass therethrough to reproduce the characters on a suitable surface in a stenciling operation.

The operation described that is, the placing of a card in the holder and the movment the holder to two operating positions in one of which characters are typed on the card through the use of inked ribbon, and in the other of which a stencil portion of the card is prepared for subsequent use. without the use of a ribbon is typical of the most preferred form of practice of the in vention. Certain subordinate details of -aechanism are used in the accomplisment of the already described and these details will now be described In order to limit the forward movement of the card holder in the position shown in Fi red of the drawing, a stop member indica ed at 22 is shown extending from the right-hand end of the platen member 11 as indicated in Figure 1 of the drawing. The stop member 29. is rotatably carried by the platen into engagement with a fixed portion of the framework when the platen has been turned to the position indicated in Figure 4 of the drawing, thereby establishing accurately the precise position near the margin of the card which is to be engaged by the type members in filling in the indexing inscription. V

In order to bringabout a line by line movement of the platen in the carrying outof the work, the platen is provide with an ordinary form of ratchet wheel 23, the teeth ofwhich are adapted to be engaged by a pawl id pivotally carried on an arm 25 pivotally mounted on the standard 26 and pro vided with an opera k a step bystep turn g movement of the ratchet 23 and platen 11 can be accomplished. In order to cause the platen to automatically rotate in one direction and thereby more the card holder 10 to its rear ward position indicated in Figure L of the drawing, the projecting arbor 28 of the platen 11 is provi e. with a torsional sor' c l l A I 29 so we "l as to c the platen to re ate in a corn. -clool :wise direction viewed in Figures 2, 3 and of the drawing. In

handle 27 by which tached, as has been stated.

order to provide for manual manipulation of the platen a knurled thumbpiece is provided at the end of the arbor 28 by means of which the platen can be rotated. The platen 11 is normally held against rotation through the use of a pawl 31 which is mounted to swing about a vertical pivot on the standard 82. A tension spring fixed to the pawl near the outer extremity thereof and attached at its other end to an upright standard 34 holds the o osite end of the pawl 31 in engagement with the toothed periphery of the ratchet wheel 23 already referred to. In order to disengage the pawl 31 from the ratchet a manu ly operable rod is attached to the on extremity of the awl 31 and has sliding engagement with the upright standard ii l to which one end of the spring 33 is at- The sliding rod 35 is provided with a thumb piece 36 by which the rod. can be pushed inwardly to release the pawl and allow the spring 29 to rotate the platen to the position shown in Figure 3.

In order to cause the work holding mem ber 10 in its outward movement to stop at the proper position to prepare the first line of the stencil a pivoted stop member 37 is provided on the sliding work holder which when depressed by the fingers of the operator engages a fixed stop 38 on the frame piece and thereby causes the card holder to take the desired position referred to. The release of the stop member 37 and the corresponding release of the pawl 31 permits the work holder to be moved forward to its extreme position which provides for the removal of the work therefrom and the placing of a blank card in position. In order to effect lateral movement of the frame member 3 with the platen and work holder, a frame piece 39 is pivotally mounted on the rearmost part of the framework 3 and is provided with a rack member l0 for cooperative engagement with a spur gear 4-1 forming part of the ordinary escapement mechanism 42 of the typewriting machine. The operation of the keys 2 will in an understood manner cause the step by step release of the spur gear ll with the consequent movement of the frame member 3 to the left as seen in Figure 1 of the drawing, the movement of the frame 3 being produced by the tension of a cord 4-3 attached to the frame piece 39 and connected at its other end to suitable spring tension device not shown.

In order to release the frame piece 3 from engagement with the spur gear ell the handle 44 can be depressed to thereby lift the rack bar 10 from engagement with the spur gear whereupon the frame member 3 can be moved in either lateral direction within the restrictions imposed by the stop members 15 and i6. A spring 47 normally holds the rack bar in engagement with the spur gear 41.

In Figure 8 of the drawing there is shown a modification of the ribbon device shown in Figure l. The device shown in Figure 8 comprises a frame member 4:8 having contained therein a section of inked ribbon l9 and the frame member d8 is designed to be used in the stead of the inked ribbon section 17 shown in Figure 1 In Figures 6 and 7 of the drawing there is shown a still further modification of inking devices. A ribbon 50 is shown which is of the ordinary typewriter ribbon character and is designed to be continuously moved across the machine in a wel. known manner. A combined guide and holder 51 for the ribbon is attached to the forward part of the typewriter framework 1 and is provided with a slidable ribbon engaging device 52 normally retained in a forward position by the action of tensile springs 53. In this form of the invention when the card holder 10 is pushed to the rearward position shown in Figure 4 of the drawing the ribbon holding device 52 is engaged by the card holder and pushed forward to the dotted line position shown in Figure 6 which brings the inked ribbon into position between the type members 21 and the index portion 14- of the card 13, as will be clear.

Preferably the platen cylinder 11 is provided with two different types of surfaces respectively designed for cooperation with the indexing and the stenciling operations.

The desired character of platen surface is i brought into position for each operation corresponding to the two different general positions of the work as indicated in Figures 3 and i of the drawing.

\Vhile the invention is shown as applied to an understrike typewriting machine, still it will be understood that it is not limited thereto, so long as the ribbon and the stencil are reciprocated across the printing surface of the platen, which, in the form of the invention shown in the drawings, is the bottom surface.

What I claim is:

1. In a typewriting machine, a rotatable platen, a flat-bed card holder mounted to reciprocate tangentially to the platen, an inked ribbon carried by said card holder in position to be engaged by the typing members of the machine to type inked characters on the card in one position of said card holder.

2. In a typewriting machine, a rotatable platen, a flat-bed card holder mounted to reciprocate tangentially to the platen, an inked ribbon carried by said card holder in position to be engaged by the typing members of the machine to type inked characters on the card in one position of said card holder, said card being adapted to be engaged directly by the typing members in another position of said card holder and Without the interposition of the inked ribbon, to thereby form a stencil.

3. In a typewriting machine, a rotatable platen, a card holder adapted to receive a card having a blank for a stencil and a blank to recelve typed characters, said card holder being niovable to place the card in a plurality of positions with relation to the platen, an inked ribbon carried by said card holder in operative relation to the blank for receiving typed characters on said card, and said card holder being movable to Withdraw the tion of said holder, and said card holder in' another position being arranged to more the ribbon out of operating position and to perinit the card to be engaged directly by said type members to produce a stencil.

JOHN J. MASON. 

